The present disclosure relates to an aircraft nacelle comprising two cowls and a spacing system which is intended to maintain the two cowls spaced apart, and an aircraft comprising at least one such nacelle.
An aircraft comprises at least one nacelle in which there is received an engine, for example, of the turbojet type, and which is suspended on a strut. The nacelle generally comprises two cowls (or fan cowls) which may be opened in order to allow the maintenance of the engine to occur.
Each cowl is articulated about an opening axis which is parallel with the longitudinal axis of the nacelle and which is arranged in the upper portion of the cowls, and the two cowls are arranged symmetrically at one side and the other of the strut.
Each cowl is thus movable between a closed position, in which the cowl is arranged in the extension of the outer surface of the nacelle so as to cover the casing of the fan, and an open position, in which an operator may access the engine.
The lower edges of the cowls, which are located in the lower portion of the nacelle, are substantially in abutment in the closed position and are maintained in that locked position by a plurality of locking systems which are distributed along the abutting lower edges of the cowls.
In order to prevent the unexpected closure of the cowls, it is known to provide a spacing system (called a “Hold Open Device” (HOD)) in the region of the lower edges of the cowls. That spacing system maintains the two cowls spaced apart and only an intentional action by a technician on the spacing system allows the two cowls to be moved together and placed in a closed position.
Current spacing systems are completely satisfactory when the cowls are sufficiently rigid. As a result of the composite materials which are used increasingly and because of the increase in the dimensions of the cowls, the cowls have a tendency to become more flexible and to become deformed more readily.
As a result of that flexibility, the lower edges of the cowls may be moved together without the technician acting on the spacing system. Therefore, there is a risk that the lower edges of the cowls may move together and the technician, seeing the two cowls in abutment, may consider the cowls to be locked.